Silver on the Side
| Rating: | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| ||||||||
| | Difficulty:3A IV (v3a1 IV) Raps:11, max ↨180ft
Red Tape:No permit required Shuttle:None Vehicle:Passenger | |||||||
| Location: | ||||||||
| Condition Reports: | 22 Apr 2025
"LOLOL SUCKFEST. Poison Oak and cuts and scratches and bruises oh my. Replaced all webbing/rebuilt all anchors. |
|||||||
| Best season: | ||||||||
| Regions: | ||||||||
34.2717, -118.2254
Search nearby locations
Weather forecast
Waterflow
Introduction[edit]
- As with all the Big T canyons your help is needed to keep access open. This entire area is still seeing a slow recovery from the old station fire which means lots of invasive plants and overgrowth in general can quickly close off access to these areas and/or make your time in them miserable. Consider adding a pair of hand shears and/or small bypass loppers to your gear list when descending these places.
Educate yourself on how and why [1] BIG TUJUNGA CANYON RESTORATION
![[1]](http://ep.yimg.com/ay/yhst-136001134851880/forester-8-1-4-by-pass-pro-forged-pruner-pr7240-3.jpg){kind=link}
Approach[edit]
There are three possible approaches to this canyon.
Shortcut[edit]
NOTE: as of DEC 2020 the KML for the shortcut approach is not accurate! Follow the description below instead:
This approach starts from the same trail head as Suicide Canyon and makes the trip a loop. It skips the upper portion of the descent in exchange for much less hiking (1.3 mile approach) and less elevation gain (1500ft total). Park at Vogel Flat and head southeast on Grizzly Flat trail. Cross Big Tujunga about 300 feet from the parking, and cross back over Big Tujunga within another 300 feet at 34.283579, -118.221984 . Continue another 2000 feet on Grizzly Flat Trail where it crosses Big Tujunga again at 34.279622, -118.219445 ; Big Tujunga makes a sharp left bend (facing upstream) here. Cross the creek and proceed 250 feet more to 34.279415, -118.218704 , then head off trail, straight south past 4" rusty steel pole and a large downed tree to the ridge about 150 feet away. Climb an animal run that angles up right onto the ridge, and follow the obvious trail is occasionally marked with white (faded from orange) flagging tape. Climb the ridge using this trail past three sets of power poles about 800 vertical feet up to a much flatter area at 34.27435, -188.22166 . Note that the trail does make some "switchback" turns on steepest parts of the ridge, so look for flagging tape and or obvious cut to plants. After a shallow saddle, keep climbing up to 34.27409, -118.22384 and head straight (South) at the trail junction (right / West leads to Suicide Canyon). Continue to the scree / talus field; climb the talus angling up left (close to due South) to 34.27249, -118.22527 then head into the brush to the small gully. Head up the gully about 200 feet to a rock band on the left, then follow the cut path to the ridge edge at 34.27185, -118.22569. Rappel from a bush about 100 feet into the canyon floor. Or, proceed down the ridge to a lower angle spur ridge, downclimb that ridge directly to first rappel in the lower section.
Shuttle[edit]
This approach requires a shuttle, but gives you access to the entire canyon with much less elevation gain (about 2000ft total gain) than the Stone Canyon approach. Park at a large pullout on the Angeles Crest Highway and follow the fire road. At the Y after the second switchback, turn left to continue toward Big Tujunga. At the junction with Mount Lukens Truck Trail, switch back to follow Mount Lukens Truck Trail to about a half mile short of the radio towers. Descend at the head of Silver on the Side.
Stone Canyon[edit]
This approach is the most strenuous (3300ft of gain over 5.5 miles), but it gives access to the entire canyon without the need for a shuttle. Park at the exit then walk down the road until it ends at the end of Stone Canyon and continue on the dirt road. Turn left to cross Big Tujunga and continue on the Stone Canyon trail to the top of the ridge. Follow the trail east along the ridge until it joins the Mount Lukens Truck trail, then follow that trail past the radio towers to the head of Silver on the Side.
Descent[edit]
Upper Section via Full Approach
@4800 feet leave the road
-- lots of brush, scree and loose talus down to:
@3970 Elevation
R1 20' Tree DCR
R2 40' Tree DCR
-- few downclimbs to:
@3690 Elevation
R3 50' boulder descent, optional Tree DCL
R4 15' optional, Tree High DCR
--then more downclimbs and hiking to:
@3300 Elevation, sneak approach drop-in rappel above
@3100 Elevation, first rappel lower section, "R5" per Brennen Beta
Lower Section via Sneak Approach
NOTE: rap numbers revised to start at 1
Either rappel into the canyon off the ridge, or
follow the ridge down to a spur that can be easily downclimbed.
@3100 feet elevation
R1 100' bolts center, red 15mm webbing JAN2021, note: bush a few feet down can jam block
R2 20' webbing around large rock DCL
R3 30' webbing around bush DCR or downclimb even more DCR
@2930' feet elevation
R4 50' bolts DCR, out-of-sight in slot, black 15mm webbing JAN2021
R5 50' bolts DCL, 2 stage rap into narrow section, really just need to rap first 10 feet, downclimb the rest
R6 ??' was a big tree, now dead, rappel is now clogged with fallen trees and can be downclimbed when dry
--Long section with a bunch of downclimbs follows, watch out for poison oak on bank DCL--
@2530ft feet elevation
- Long slippery slope, easily down climbable or
R7 30' bush DCR on rock face
@~2400ft feet elevation
R8 120' vertical from bolts DCL (one bolt loose DEC2020), if using 2x 200s for this rap, you can conveniently feed rope straight into anchor for R9 after pull.
R9 180' vertical from Cairn anchor DCL
R10 8' but easy to downclimb with tree or DCL
R11 20' ghost off tree, or downclimb DCR in the poison oak!
Follow trail out to join silver canyon.
Exit[edit]
Red tape[edit]
Beta sites[edit]
Chris Brennen's Adventure Hikes (St Gabriels) : Silver-on-the-side- Super Amazing Map : Silver-on-the-Side
Trip reports and media[edit]
First canyoneering descent on February 3, 2007, by Ken King, Matt Maxon, Eric Hale, Keith Goodfellow, Jason Wills, Mark Fitzsimmons, Jane Fontana, Bernd Haase and Chris Brennen.